THE queen elizabeth II she was also the queen of symbolic dress, with her clothes, colors, hats and jewelry that communicated with her subjects and contributed to smooth diplomacy.
On Monday, as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch is laid to rest, the time has come for her admirers – family members, heads of state and other dignitaries – to do the same.
Needless to say, black was the predominant color among the approximately 2,000 guests packed into London’s Westminster Abbey for the ceremony. And while the participants’ clothing choices were appropriately understated, hats, brooches and nods to national outfits added personality to the attire.
Formal hairstyles came in all shapes and sizes, from wide-brimmed hats to tiny fascinators with dark veils.
More elaborate designs were seen in Carole Middleton mother of Catherine, Princess of Wales, and leader of Great Britain’s House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, whose hat featured an arrangement of dark feathers.
The wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, Brigitte , opted for a pillbox-style hat with small black veil details on the front; Jill Biden’s was more minimalist, with a thin, headband-like design, culminating in a delicate bow.
Indeed, no royal was too young to follow the tradition, with Princess Charlotte – now third in line to the throne – also pictured wearing a dark hat. The 7-year-old also wore a horseshoe pendant on her coat, in what may have been a tribute to her great-grandmother’s love of horses.
For others in the queen’s immediate family, clothing, sashes, and medals were dictated by military rank. The new king, Charles III, wore a Royal Navy uniform and carried a sword. Her son William, the newly named Prince of Wales, wore a Royal Air Force uniform, while Prince Edward and Princess Anne also wore uniforms.
No longer a member of working royalty, Prince Andrew wore a simple morning suit, though it was still adorned with various medals and decorations. Prince Harry also arrived in civilian clothes, having retired from royal duties in 2020.
Making statements is a delicate task, but brooches, pins and sashes carried a subtle meaning.
Kate Middleton Princess of Wales wore a pair of pearl earrings given to the Queen and Prince Philip for their wedding in 1947, as well as the four-row Japanese pearl choker from the Queen’s personal jewelry collection (an item previously worn by Princess Diana ).
Wearing an elegant cape dress, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex followed suit in a pair of earrings presented by the Queen in 2018.
Camilla, the Queen Consort, went further in history with the heart-shaped Hessian Diamond Jubilee brooch, a sapphire-encrusted jewel that once belonged to Queen Victoria, the great-great-grandmother of the late Queen Elizabeth.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern , who often uses highlights to nod to his country’s indigenous traditions, wore a feathered Maori robe. Speaking before the funeral, she told one of her country’s broadcasters, 1News, that the outfit gave her “some way to bring a piece of New Zealand here with me”.
Other foreign dignitaries also turned to their country’s national dress. The Crown Prince of Bahrain arrived in a thobe and ghitraa, the ankle-length robe and headdress widely worn by men in the Gulf nation.
Gregorio María Araneta III, brother-in-law of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., wore a white barong tagalog – an embroidered long-sleeved formal shirt – with a black armband.
Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also arrived in traditional attire, while Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wore a black sherwani.
Source: CNN Brasil
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